1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to cutting tools and more particularly to handheld multifunction cutting tools having roller cutters, circle cutters for glass and tile, and a protected carpet cutting blade.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Multifunction cutting tools of various sorts are well known in the art. One example, described in European Patent No. 489,290 (Weschenfelder) incorporated herein by reference, includes the following features: a first small roller head for glass and tiles; a hobby blade for carpet, PVC and matting as well as cable stripping; a hook blade for carpet, PVC, rubber and plastic; a second large roller head for cloth, wallpaper, leather, etc.; both scissors and knife sharpening grooves; a suction-cup pivot foot used with the first roller head for cutting circles in glass and tiles; and a carpet attachment carrying an angled blade and having a foot for sliding under carpet to produce smooth cuts therein.
As successful as these tools have been, certain drawbacks have limited their utility in some areas. The carpet attachment angled blade is exposed from the foot to the tool potentially creating a potential hazard to users. The large roller blade is held in position in the tool by two extensions, extending from a bracket received in the tool handle and snapped into place by a detent on the lower extension. This attachment, in some applications, is insufficiently rigid. The suction cup is attached to the pivot foot via a metal machine screw extending upward through the bottom of the rubber suction cup. This poses a risk of scratching the material being cut. The hobby blade and hook blade each rotate into the tool body and are difficult to retrieve. Finally, the mounting bracket supporting the small glass-cutting roller head is rectangular in cross-section and slides into a receiving channel in the body, yet lacks a solid abutment surface to brace against the body and thus lacks stability under pressure.